Supply Chain Visibility Solution Architecture

1. A method for managing process data, comprising: receiving status information at a handheld computing device, said status information includes Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) data and status data about one or more objects; synchronizing said handheld computing device with a controller, including synchronizing said status information; removing redundant data from said RFID data and said status data at said controller; sending said RFID data and said status data from said controller to a separate data processing system; receiving status information at said separate data processing center; storing said status information in a first format in a temporary data store, said storing is performed by said separate data processing system; adding attribute information for said one or more objects to said status information in said temporary data store, said adding attribute information comprises: accessing said RFID data in said temporary data store, using said accessed RFID data to determine if said attribute information is in a cache, acquiring said attribute information from said cache if said attribute information is in said cache, acquiring said attribute information from an external look-up service if said attribute information is not in said cache, and storing said attribute information in said first format in said temporary data store in association with said status information; transforming said status data and attribute information to a second format based on metadata; and publishing said transformed status data and attribute information.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: receiving data for pre-populating forms at said handheld computing device, said data for pre-populating forms is received from said controller; and providing said forms to a user with said data for pre-populating said forms, said receiving status information at a handheld computing device includes receiving said status data about said one or more objects based on said forms.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: providing said transformed status data and attribute information to a server that includes a plurality of adapter processes, each adapter process is used to communicate with a different business process; and using said adapter processes to communicate said published and transformed status data and attribute information to said different business applications.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein: said publishing includes providing said transformed status data and attribute information to an extraction, transformation and load entity for delivery to a data warehouse; and providing said status data and attribute information to a data mining tool from said data warehouse.

5. A method for managanging process data, comprising: receiving data for pre-populating forms at a handheld computing device, said data for pre-populating said forms is received from a controller; receiving Radio Frequency Identification RFID data at said handheld computing device; providing said forms to a user with said data for pre-populating said forms; receiving status data about one or more objects based on said forms; synchronizing said handheld computing device with said controller, including synchronizing said status data and said RFID data; and sending said RFID data and said status data from said controller to a separate data processing system; receiving status information at said separate data processing system, said status information includes said RFID data and said status data about one or more objects; storing said status information in a first format, said separate data processing system performs said receiving status information and storing said status information in said first format; mapping said status data to attribute information about said one or more objects using said RFID data; transforming said status data and attribute information to a first schema based on metadata; providing said transformed status data and attribute information to a server that includes a plurality of adapter processes, each adapter process is used to communicate with a different business process; and using said adapter processes to communicate said transformed status data and attribute information to said different business applications.

6. A method for managing process data, comprising: receiving status information at a handheld computing device, said status information includes Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) data and status data about one or more objects; synchronizing said handheld computing device with a controller, including synchronizing said status information; removing redundant data from said RFID data and said status data at said controller; sending said status information, including said RFID data and said status data, from said controller to a separate data processing system; receiving said status information at said separate data processing system; storing said status information in a first format at said separate data processing system; mapping said status data to attribute information about said one or more objects using said RFID data: transforming said status data and attribute information to a first schema based on metadata; providing said transformed status data and attribute information to a server that includes a plurality of adapter processes, each adapter process is used to communicate with a different business process; and using said adapter processes to communicate transformed status data and attribute information to said different business applications.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising: adding attribute information for said one or more objects to said status information, said adding attribute information comprises: using said RFID data to determine if said attribute information is in a cache, acquiring said attribute information from said cache if said attribute information is in said cache, acquiring said attribute information from an external look-up service if said attribute information is not in said cache, and storing said attribute information in said first format in said temporary data store in association with said status information.